Tony McCoy expects to make his return to race-riding on Thursday after all, having received the approval of his medical advisers as to the extent of his recovery from broken ribs. The perennial champion jump jockey has been on the sidelines since 30 December when Laudatory unseated him at the final hurdle at Taunton and then fell on top of him.

"The doctor is very happy so I should be back on Thursday," McCoy is reported to have told the Daily Mail on Tuesday after an appointment with a specialist in Bristol. His comeback is planned to take place at Warwick, where he is already booked for one ride over hurdles and another in a "bumper" race without obstacles. Both horses are trained by Rebecca Curtis.

Thursday was the date expected for McCoy's return, until his column in the Daily Telegraph last Saturday, when he said he might be on the sidelines for a few days longer. "I must have reached the age of discretion, because I've taken the view that as I've been off long enough anyway, there's no point in coming back before I'm good and ready and if that means coming back a little later than intended – then so be it," he wrote. "There's no doubt in my own mind that I could ride a horse now, but I am not convinced I could take the impact of another fall just yet."

That, coupled with McCoy's jokey reference to a short stay in Barbados at the expense of his main employer, J P McManus ("I could have stayed another month"), led to speculation that the 37-year-old might be losing his legendary powers of endurance and feeling his age. The Racing Post was moved to speculate about his retirement and wondered aloud whether "the Iron Man" might be "corroding".

Nothing was more calculated to spur McCoy back into action. The jockey was especially incensed by the headline put over his Telegraph copy – "I can't bear the thought of another fall" – and took to Twitter to underline the point that he had said nothing of the kind.

McCoy is on 174 winners for the present season, still more than 60 ahead of his nearest pursuer.